A Shoulder To Lean On
by CastleWolfie
Summary: The Avatar realized then that she didn't want want to stay up with him just because she was worried about him falling asleep behind the reins, but because she needed to be with someone, a friend, after all that had happened that day. All that had happened to Jet.


I have no idea why, but I really love this one. Oh, and sorry for any errors, my Beta is out of town.

This one's set just after Lake Laogai, the episode where Jet dies, for those that don't know.

Reviews are appreciated, I always read them and try my best to reply to all of them.  
So, yeah, enjoy. (:

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, just the story.

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Aang sighed, his breath causing a puff of air just in front of him. Gripping Appa's reins tighter, the young Avatar turned to look at the saddle behind him, eyes running over his friends sleeping forms with a frown that felt truly out of place.

Aang knew couldn't blame them for dozing off, really.

It had been an exhausting few days in Ba Sing Se and somewhere between the journey to find Appa and actually finding him, most of them (save for Toph, of course) hadn't been able to get much sleep. Shifting slightly on the flying bisons head, the airbender looked ahead to the mountain he'd planned to land Appa on for the night and realized, for not the first time, that it would be a few more hours until they would reach it. With a low groan, Aang flicked his wrists, signaling for Appa to speed up.

The bison responded with a grumbled noise that sounded suspiciously like a 'no' and tipped his large head to the right, sending his master and friend sliding across his slick fur and into one of his massive horns. With a quiet 'oof' Aang raised a hand and airbent himself back to his place on the creatures head and grabbed his reins once more. Using the same hand he'd bent with, the young boy raised it to his own head and rubbed along the sore spot, that was sure to bruise later on, caused by Appa's horn.

"Okay, okay, I get it. You've had a rough few days too and I shouldn't push you. You're tired too, I know. I'm sorry buddy," Aang sighed softly, patting the sky bisons head, "Just keep going and we'll be there soon enough... And then we can both get some rest..."

Readjusting himself on Appa's head until he was comfortable, Aang felt himself drifting off to sleep, his eyes just drooping when a slightly muffled, sleep-heavy voice spoke behind him.

"Aang?"

The Avatar jumped slightly at the unexpected noise, turning his head too look over his shoulder, his eyes fell on his waterbending friend who grinding the palm of her hand into her left eye to rub the sleep from it.

"Hey... Why're you up?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Katara stated, shooing Momo from her lap and crawling closer to the front of the saddle.

"Someone has to fly Appa to the mountain- I'm not even that tired really," the airbender replied on a yawn. Katara glared at her friend slightly, leaning against the saddle's side. Even under only the light of the moon, Aang could see the puffyness under her eyes from the tears she'd shed that day. The sight made his heartache.

"Funny, you look tired to me..." she stated gently, climbing over the saddle edge to sit next to her friend on the bisons head. Aang shrugged, another yawn escaping his lips.

"Okay, maybe I am a little tired... but I'll be fine."

"What if you fall asleep?"

"I won't." Katara shot her friend a skeptical glance.

"Well, I'm not taking that chance. I'll stay up with you until we get to the mountain." Aang wrinkled his nose and turned to Katara to protest, but the words died on his lips as he saw the look on her face. A mix of worry and pain. The Avatar realized then that she didn't want want too stay up with him just because she was worried about him falling asleep behind the reins, but because she needed to be with someone, a friend, after all that had happened that day.

All that had happened to Jet.

And so, instead of saying 'you need to sleep' or 'I'll be okay, go back to sleep', Aang simply nodded his head and offered his friend a soft smile that said more than words ever could. The waterbender returned the smile and shifted closer to the airbender.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence, even when she laid her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his.


End file.
